Arduino

For many people who like to build things that use Arduino to operate one of the most difficult parts is making an app or software to control the project. A new program called Blynk has turned up seeking funding that promises to make creating the software to control your project the easiest part of the entire project.

No, it isn't a combination of the popular microcontroller and Final Fantasy VII. Arduino Materia 101 is, instead, an almost foreseeable and completely expected merging of two of the hobbyist world's most popular toys: microcontrollers and 3D printing.

The next generation in Arduino development appears to have been dished out this afternoon. With the Arduino Zero, the Arduino UNO has a new sibling - now with a whole new level of functionality. This new board is set to assist a new generation of engineers and developers, doing so with processing power and abilities that will enable waves of new devices.

Flappy Bird may be dead, at least the original version of the ridiculously-addictive game, but that hasn't stopped the copycats and clones, including this real-world version dubbed Flappy Bird in a Box. The handiwork of Fawn Qiu, the Arduino-powered game sees a paper bird try to navigate a scrolling landscape of pipes, with the lid slapping shut if you hit one.

DIY enthusiasts that make things that require electronics and software to operate will be familiar with the Arduino platform. That platform can be used to make just about anything you can dream up. A project has hit its funding goal and then some on Indiegogo that is for a board designed to make it easier for people new to Arduino hardware to make stuff.

If you've ever wanted to make a cellphone for yourself out of parts from the likes of hack-friendly Aduino, now is the time. Though you're not going to be winning any beauty contests with this machine's aesthetic, you'll certainly be able to feel proud of your construction skills by the end of it all. Say hello to the first home-made smartphone - if you can call it that.

Planning on bringing up your NERF gun game this summer and are simply stuck for what to do now that you've got the NERF Vulcan at home? Tired of actually pulling the trigger yourself? This week the folks at Instructables have decided it's high time NERF got automatic and made with the conjuring: full on rapid-fire motion-tracking toy projectile firing the likes of which won't be cheap, but won't produce regret, either.

Augmented reality has blown up in 2012 thanks to Google's Project Glass, but a DIY eyepiece likened to a hearing aid for those without 3D vision shows there's more to wearables than recording point-of-view video. Gregory McRoberts' Borg-like DIY eyepatch augments his vision with senses humans wouldn't normally be blessed with: the ability to "see" temperature and precise distance.

Tinkerers take note, because Arduino has launched its new Esplora controller, which just so happens to be customizable and open source. The Esplora is derived from the Arduino Leonardo, but unlike its predecessors, it comes equipped with a number of sensors and buttons out of the box. That means it should be at least relatively easy to just jump in once your Esplora arrives.

If you really enjoy making your own projects using Arduino, EarthMake has a new product that you may appreciate. The device is called the ArduinoLCD and as the name implies it is an LCD screen designed to use in your DIY Arduino projects. The device has an all-in-one modular design with a 3.5-inch color LCD that supports touch control.

Each morning when my seven-year-old daughter wakes up, the first thing she asks me is how cold it's going to be. If I tell her a specific number like 50°, she looks at me as if I asked her to solve an algebra equation. The next thing out of her mouth is, "do I need a jacket or not?" That's all she really wants to know; weather from a child's perspective can be distilled three basic things – shorts or pants or jacket. I think a lot of us are like that when it comes to the weather.

Arduino 1.0 is finally out, after many years of revisions and changes to "clean up the Arduino environment and language, as well as adding lots of additional features." For those of you that need a refresher, the Arduino open-source software development platform lets you program microcontrollers that're essentially the backbone behind insanely cool DIY projects that have been released in the last few years. This is great news for the open-source DIY electronics hacker community, marking the offical release of the Arduino software.